Treatment of adsorbent earths



Patented Feb. 9, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFI CE J'ACQUEC. mm, 01CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGI WOB TOUNIVEBSAL OIL PRODUCTS COIPANY, OIOHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION 01 SOUTH DAKOTA.

-' TBEA'I'KEN'I. OI ABSORBER! EAR-TBS 1K0 Drawing.

The present invention relates to the treatment of adsorbent earths, andrefers more particularly to the treatment of fullers earth, fioridanearth or other adsorbent earths such as Death Valley clay," bentonite,bauxite and infusorial earth, for the purpose of imparting to saidearths characteristics "whereby the efliciency of the earths in therefining ofphydrocarbon oil is increased.

l-lt the present time, adsorbent earths are coming into extensivecommercial use for the purpose of refining the condensed overheadproducts of petroleum distillatlon or cracking, as well as lubricatingoils, the adsorbent earth functioning as a medium to remove or convertcertain deleterious compounds present in said hydrocarbon oil, suchgums, resins and certain undesirable unsaturated compounds which areformed as the result of the reaction, all of which compounds tend toimpart to the product an undesirable odor or color, or both, onstanding; in other words, unless these compounds are removed orconverted, the hydrocarbon oil may not be sulficiently stable orotherwise satistactory for commercial use.

it have :Eound that the use of adsorbent earths is helpful in therefining of hydrocarhon oils for the purpose of rendering them morestable, and l have found particularly that luller s earth and fioridanearth, used naturally as mined, possess characteristics which, to alimited degree, only assist in this process of stabilization orrefining.

The present invention is directed specifically to the novel conceptwhereby, by subjecting the lullers earth, fioridan earth, or otheradsorbent earths listed above, to treatment with dilute hydrofluoricacid, it is possible materially to increase the efliciency of saidearths in the refining and stabilization of hydrocarbon oils. The actionof hydrofluoric acid seems to impart characteristics to the earths whichtend in a manner to activate said earths. in other words, naturaladsorbent earths, such as those above referred to, are not highly activein the sense that this term is used in the oil refining industry, but

have found that the action of the hydrofluoric acid tends to activatesaid earths,

Application fled July M,

making them commercially useful and increasin the efficiency of saidearths for this particu ar use.

The hydrofluoric acid is preferably used in concentrations of 1% down to02%, more or less, with success. It will be instantly obvious that theexpense involved in activating or increasing the elliciency of adsorb,-ent earths for the particular use described is small. As a specificillustration of one manner of carrying out the invention, a solution maybe made up comprising 02% hydrofluoric acid in aqueous solution. This isequivalent to one gallon of commercial hydrofluoric acid diluted with5,000 gallons of water. This solution may then be used for the treatmentof approximately 40,000 pounds, more or less, of adsorbent earth, theearth and solution being mixed in, say, equal proportions. The mixturemay be preferably heated by steam coils or any other means and the Waterremoved by filtration or evaporation and the earth subsequently dried.Before use, it may be desirable to regrind the earth to a finely dividedstate, or to any mesh desirable for use.

The earth is then ready to be used as the refining agent and will befound to possess high efliciency for the particular use described.

The action of the hydrofluoric acid on the adsorbent earth is probablyan etching action, as hydrofluoric acid is the only generally known acidwhich will react with siliceous matter.

1 claim as my invention:

1. A process which comprises subjecting natural adsorbent earth to theaction of dilute hydrofluoric acid to increase the efficiency of theadsorbent earth for refining purposes.

2. A process which comprises subjecting a natural adsorbent earth toreaction with dilute hydrofluoric acid to impart thereto characteristicssuitable in refining hydrocarbon oils.

3. A process which comprises subjecting a natural adsorbent earth toreaction with dilute hydrofluoric acid to impart thereto characteristicssuitable in refining hydrocarbon oils, said hydrofluoric acid being usedin concentrations below three per cent. 4. A process which comprisessubjecting a nature lute hydrofluoric acid to imparttheretocharacteristics suitable in refining "hydrocarbon oils, saidhydrofluoric acid being used in concentrations below one per cent.

5. Natural adsorbent earth characterized by a structure induced by theetching action of hydrofluoric acid.

6. Natural adsorbent earth having the characteristics of having beensubjected to reaction with dilute hydrofluoric acid.

7. The method of treating substantially carbon-free, natural mineraladsorbent earths, which comprises sub'ecting these materials to theaction of di ute hydrofluoric acid to increase the efliciency of thematerial for the purpose of refining the condensed overhead products ofpetroleum distillation or cracking, as well as lubricating" oils.

8. A material for use in refining hydrocarbon oil of a medium toremove'deleterious compounds such as gum, resin and unsaturatedcompounds, thereby improving the odor and color of the hydrocarbon oil;which material is produced by subjecting substantially carbon-free,natural mineral adsorbent eartihs to the action of dilute hydrofluoricac1 9. A process for improving the refining characteristics of fullersearth which comprises subjecting the same to the action of dilutehydrofluoric acid. 10. A refining agent comprising fullers earth treatedwith dilute hydrofluoric acid. In testimony whereof I a my signature.

JACQUE C. MORRELL.

adsorbent earth to reaction with di- I

